July 9/12 21:29 pm - 2013 Specialized Product Launch - Day 0

Posted by Editoress on 07/9/12

It is the time of year for product launches. A few weeks ago, we provided you with a look at the new Shimano Saint group, and now it is time for Specialized. This year, Specialized is holding their global press launch in Snowbird, up in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. We will be bringing you coverage over the next few days of our impressions of the new offerings from the S company.

The actual launch starts tomorrow, but CC was able to get a look today at the new 225,000 square foot distribution centre in Salt Lake City that supplies the western half of the United States (there's one for the eastern half in Columbus, Ohio, and Canada has its own, in Montreal). This centre also provides all of the warranty work for entire U.S. market, as well as a growing rebuild service for Specialized suspension systems (shocks and forks).

In addition, it is home to a rather unique department called Brand Security. While we all know about counterfeiting in the software and fashion industry, it may come as a surprise to learn that there is a growing problem with counterfeiting high end, brand name cycling products, such as carbon frames, shoes and apparel.

Andrew Love is charge of this new program, that tracks the sale of counterfeit products (usually over the Internet), working with companies such as eBay and Paypal to shut them down. In the last 18 months, they have shut down 6000 web-based selling accounts worth nearly $4 million U.S. Clearly, this is not a small problem, and he says that Canada faces it's own share. We have a video interview here with Andrew discussing this problem. He also works with dealers and law enforcement tracking stolen goods, and recently worked with Specialized Canada to stop the sale of some Venge road bikes - stolen in the U.S. - that had resurfaced in Canada.